watch sunsets instead of sunrises from her kitchen window,

because he was pretty sure he needed to build their home

on the seat of his power.

Duncan felt her stir and instantly stiffen, obviously so

scared that she didn’t dare move even a muscle. He

slowed the boat to an idle then shut off the engine, and

gently cupped her face to look at him. “I’m sorry for putting

ye out like that,” he said as he brushed his fingers over her

forehead, hoping she could see his smile in the moonlight.

“I’m guessing ye have one hel of a headache, but I thought

it would be less traumatic than a rope and gag.”

Okay, that probably wasn’t the brightest thing to say,

seeing how she shrank away from his touch and stopped

breathing, the moonlight showing the terror in her eyes. He

sighed again and slowly sat her up on the floor in front of

him—ready to grab her if she decided jumping in the water

might be preferable to being in the boat with him. “This isn’t

what it seems, lass. I’m not real y kidnapping—wel , okay, I

am, but not to do ye any harm. I have a powerful favor to

ask, but I … You’re going to have to trust … Aw, hel , Peg,”

he growled, scrubbing his face with his hands. “My word of

honor, I’l have ye back home safe and sound an hour after

sunrise.”

She scrambled away with a gasp until she bumped into

the next seat. “I can’t be gone al night. My children!”

“They’re perfectly safe with Mom and Dad.”

“But your parents are expecting us back no later than

ten!”

He shook his head. “I told Dad that if we’re not home by

eleven, then we won’t be back until morning.”

“Your father knows you’re doing this to me?” She

dropped her gaze to his feet. “Please, Duncan, just take me

home.”

“I promise I wil —in the morning.” He reached forward to

lift her chin. “But ye need to know that the magic’s going to

make it seem like we’re gone for several days.”

She gasped again, clutching her coat closed at her throat

as her eyes searched his. “Are you insane or am I?”

“Do you remember the night of the fire when Robbie and

Alec and I arrived by boat, and ye noticed we al had the

beginnings of beards?”

He saw confusion replace some of her fear as she slowly

nodded.

“That was because we’d been on the mountain across

the fiord for two and a half days even though we’d left you

just the afternoon before.”

“That’s not possible.”

“It is for the magic, lass. Because remember I told you

that even if ye don’t believe, the magic goes about its

business anyway?”

She dropped her gaze to his feet again, saying nothing—

only to suddenly scramble toward him when something

gently bumped the boat and surfaced right beside them.

“Ohmigod, what is that?”

She was squeezing his neck so tightly, Duncan couldn’t

help but smile that she was more afraid of things that went

bump in the night than of him, apparently. “That would be a

big old whale with a warped sense of humor.” He pried

himself free, then turned Peg to put her back to his chest

and wrapped his arms around her. “He’s just wanting to

meet you, since I’ve told him al about this amazing woman

I’ve been trying to catch the eye of.” He tightened his arms

against her trembling. “I’m not sure if this is the same one

or not, but a friend of Mac’s from Midnight Bay told me

about this giant whale named Leviathan. Trace said he

actual y met Leviathan up close and personal one day, and

that the beast is quite … friendly. He’s not going to hurt us,

Peg. He’s just wanting to say hel o.”

“P-please take me home,” she softly petitioned.

“In the morning,” he repeated, lowering her to sit between

his legs. Keeping a hand on her shoulder, he reached back

and started the engine. “I promise to have ye home before

your children wake up.”

So with Peg huddled on the floor in front of him hugging

herself and occasional y rubbing her forehead, Duncan

resumed his trip at ful throttle, not slowing down until he

spotted the once again ful y formed beach. The whale

slipped back from keeping pace with them when Duncan

shut off the engine and lifted the motor, and silently sank

beneath the surface as they drifted up onto the gravel.

Peg didn’t move, and apparently wasn’t even wil ing to

look at him. Duncan walked past her and climbed out and

dragged the boat farther up onto the beach, then grabbed

the rope on the bow and tied it to the closest tree. He took

his sword out and slipped it on over his shoulders, then

grabbed the backpack and extended his free hand. “Come

on, Peg.”

She stil didn’t move except to curl into a tighter bal .

“The sooner we get going, the sooner you’l be home,

lass.” He sighed when she stil refused to move. “And the

more cooperative ye are, the less of a bastard I’l be.”

She final y lifted her head. “You promised never to hurt

me.”

“I’m trying to keep that promise by keeping you safe, but I

need to get hold of the magic to do that.”

“W-what’s the favor you want from me?”

He dropped his hand. “There’s something I’m needing

that’s in a cave up on the mountain behind me, but my

shoulders are too broad to reach it. Wait; you aren’t

claustrophobic, are you?” he asked, just now realizing that

might be a problem. “Because there’s about twenty or thirty

feet of the cave that’s quite narrow.”

She immediately nodded. “Yes. Yes, I’m scared to death

of tight places,” she blatantly lied. “I just freeze up and can’t

move.” She lowered her gaze and shrugged her shoulders.

“So I guess I can’t help you, so you might as wel take me

home.” But curiosity apparently getting the best of her, she

looked up again. “Um, what is it that you wanted me to get

for you?” she asked, her gaze lifting to the mountain behind

him. “Gold? Or tourmaline? Did you find a gem mine or

something?”

“I doubt it’s gems,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m not

exactly sure what’s in there because I can’t actual y see it,

because the cave curves too sharply.”

“Then how do you know something’s even there?” she

snapped.

Duncan ran a hand over his jaw to hide his grin, glad to

see she was final y tired of being afraid. “I just know. I can

feel its energy.”

She snorted and settled back against the side of the

boat and hugged her knees to her chest. “Then I guess

you’re going to have to ask some narrow-shouldered fairy

to crawl in there and get it for you.”

“Christ, you’re contrary,” he muttered, dropping the

backpack. He walked along the boat, reached in, plucked

her out, and stood her on her feet, then bent to get right in

her face. “We can do this the hard way if you insist, just so

long as you realize we’re not leaving here until I have what I

came for—even if it takes a month. You real y want to be

away from your children that long?”

“Fine,” she growled, jerking away and striding toward the

woods. She waved over her shoulder. “Just so you realize

that I’m pressing kidnapping charges against you the

moment we get back.” She stopped and turned and even

pointed a finger at him—which he happened to notice was

trembling. “And I’m chaining off the pit, and if I ever see you

on my land again, I’m digging out my shotgun.”

That said, she spun around and strode up into the trees,

and Duncan final y let his grin escape as he wondered how

long before Peg realized she didn’t know where to go. He